Pyint and his mother returned from Chiang Mai on 26 May 2011. They had spent 10 weeks in Chiang Mai so that Pyint could undergo investigations and a corrective procedure to counteract the effects of hydrocephalus (water on the brain). The surgery involved the insertion of a shunt to relieve the pressure and fluid build-up within Pyint’s brain. The operation was in April 2011 with an inpatient stay of several weeks.

 

Pyint’s mother said that every day she spent in Chiang Mai was a good experience. Sharing accommodation with other parents coping with their children’s illness was positive as they talked over their similar challenges and supported each other. The only day Pyint’s mother was worried was the day of her son’s operation. Her anxiety about the outcome of her son’s brain surgery caused her waves of nausea and she wished she had a family member present. Pyint’s mother said that a translator was used to explain what was happening to her child.

 

Pyint’s mother was very impressed by the care provided by the hospital. Previously she had been the only one to hold and comfort her child but in the hospital the nurses would cuddle and settle her son. Pyint’s mother explains that prior to the operation her son cried constantly, did not look at her, and had a fixed stare of fretfulness. Post operatively there has been a complete transformation of Pyint’s interaction with the world. This has resulted in his mother feeling a greater bond towards him, as he looks around and smiles at his mother’s face. He can respond to sounds and movement around him especially his mother’s voice and playful activity. He can be settled easier and mother and child can now sleep well over night which means his mother feels well rested.

 

Pyint’s medical treatment has helped his mother feel happier, as she no longer has to be constantly worried that her child will die because they could not afford treatment. Pyint’s mother’s greatest hope is that her child will receive an education when he is of school age. She states that there are not words to describe how happy she is that the BCMF program were able to help her child and she would like to thank BCMF’s donors and supporters very much.

Help fund the treatment of children like Pyint and make a donation to BCMF today.